Songs and Dance Music from the 13th—17th Centuries

Reviews

It was a measure of the way they captured the audience’s imagination that announcing the final song produced a loud groan, so they played an encore and were rewarded with prolonged applause. They had entertained, enlightened and educated their audience, and very few musicians can do all that in one performance. If you can, go and see them. They are rather special.

~ Cleobury Clarion

super ... such fun ... very, very good early music … wonderful music and singing … fantastic stuff

~ Genevieve Tudor, BBC Radio Shropshire, Sunday Folk

expertly produced sounds … very good harmonies … The Night Watch are a duo who are not afraid of a challenge!

~ Folk Monthly

… a galaxy of string and wind instruments … Dexterity, subtlety, precise timing and a display of flying fingers.

~ Folk West

… two very top instrumentalists ... most enjoyable ... amazing instruments ... fascinating

~ The Circle Folk Club

Absolutely fabulous – The Night Watch were the best thing I saw all week.

… well worth my while! … very tasty collection … Both men are good singers in the style one associates with music of this period … detailed liner notes that this reviewer really appreciated [that] add a great deal to my listening experience. These two gentlemen are indeed good ambassadors of early music. I would love to hear them perform.

… a full house … taken back through time to listen to mediaeval and renaissance instruments as unfamiliar and varied as an oud, a shawm, a rebec, a gemshorn and a gittern. We also heard the sounds of German bagpipes, a cittern with low-tension strings of iron and brass(!), a lute on which Ian gave an impressive solo performance of a John Dowland piece, a treble lute, and Andy’s umpteen recorders – with Andy showing his versatility by playing two of them at the same time. There was also plenty of fine singing. The audience just clamoured for more.

~ Folk West, reviewing the launch of The Ambassadors

You’ve made it such a brilliant day. Thank you … The most enjoyable part of the day was all of it because it was fun … I felt like I was actually in Tudor times … we could get involved in all activities. And they were quite funny, too! … It gave us a chance to learn while doing something fun … Nothing could improve the day – it was all really good … Improve the day with more time so we can fit more fantastic things in … No way you could improve – it was brilliant … It was amazing! I would really like to see you again!